Chapter 5
“Is this entirely made of obsidian?” Malfoy asked his eyes tracing the carvings in the stone.
“Yes” I moved around the room, checking the wards
“It’s beautiful, but why obsidian?”
“Obsidian is one of the few things that absorbs magic, not in the sense that it wouldn’t allow us to do anything but given that were attached to a whole ass manor I’d really rather it didn’t come down on our heads the second our spells start flying. From what I recall you aren’t exactly a subpar magic user.” I rolled my shoulders, moving to the opposite side of the room from where Malfoy stood “I’ve added cushioning charms to the entirety of the room too we don’t need any injuries” I watched as Malfoy began rolling up the shelves of his shirt, if we’re going to do this then I may as well get ready, no point in wearing the jumper. I gripped the edge of my hoodie and yanked it up over my head, revealing the short sleeved t-shirt under it it, I’d changed just as soon as we’d landed in the Manor, hating to wear robes more than anything the damn things were so cumbersome that it was a miracle that anyone managed to do anything in them. I dumped the hoodie onto the floor and stepped forward.
“Ready?” I asked Malfoy, he nodded sharply and then took up his position. My hands were in my pockets, my wand in the holster on my right arm, I saw the expression on Malfoy's face.
“Are you going to raise your wand Potter?” He snapped
“Not if I can help it”
“It’s fucking insulting if you don’t, you know that”
“It’s practical Malfoy, I don’t want to hurt you” I sighed, his eyes narrowed on me before sending a stinging jinx to my thigh. It hit the shield around me with a fizzle.
“Yeah you’ll need to use more power than that” I shook my head. I was doing this to try to keep the demon from creeping to the surface, it inevitably would but if i could keep it tempered for now it would have to do.
Malfoy cast another stinging Jinx, a stronger one but not strong enough. I saw it when it connected with the shield in front of my wand hand, and fizzled out. Malfoys expression changed then from feigned aggravation to true anger, which is exactly what it would take to take down the half arsed shield in front of me.
The next spell that hit the shield was a confringo and it definitely had enough power behind it as it blasted the shield apart in a kaleidoscope of shimmering magic. Malfoy had a triumphant look on his face when my eyes met his, a tiny smirk gracing his features. I shook my head. He stepped forward with his next spell, a stupefy aimed right at my chest, I observed it as it came barreling towards me, I could have stepped out of the path of it. I could have simply sidestepped it and yet I didn’t, I snapped out my right hand and caught it, it spinning in my hand as I looked back at my opponent, I smiled before flicking my wrist and sending the spell careening into the obsidian wall.
“You’re going to have to better than that” I chided
I watched him, like a hunter stalking its prey as he moved forward as he shook out his shoulder and then truly began trying to beat me.
Two, three, four, five came hurtling at me one after the other, I stepped out of the way. A confringo grazed the top of my head, I eyed him as he smirked back at me. Six, seven, eight, nine more spells shot towards me, he was a fast caster, that I’d forgotten about but what I hadn’t forgotten is that he needed his wand to cast where as I didn’t not anymore. I caught the ninth spell, it was another stupefy, it was strong actually. I spun around on my heel, gathering momentum before throwing it back to him. He yelped and rolled out of the way.
“Are you just going to keep throwing my own spells back at me Potter?”
“I am until you land a hit” I shrugged “So far you’ve missed”
“Fuck you” He spat at me, but I only laughed. I threw my head back and laughed, a rough sound, the demon was crawling to the surface and I knew with that sound that it was but I didn’t have it in me to wrangle it back right now. Instead I stood perfectly still and watched with all too knowing eyes.
“I’m making it easy for you here Malfoy, i’m not even moving” I was laughing again but my voice was off, ever so slightly Malfoy didn’t even pause he simply threw a binding spell at me followed by a confringo. I won’t admit it to Malfoy but I could hedge a guess that he knew as I made no attempt to move or well do anything with the spells I smiled at him as they hit me one after the other and blasted me into the wall.
I heard the gasp as I came to a stop in the wall, as my head cracked against it and I slid down to lay there. I laughed again before flipping myself into the air and landing in a crouch.
“You just fucking countered the binding spell without a wand!” He yelped
“Yeah I didn’t cast the counter spell either, I barely thought it” I shook my head “I would suggest bracing yourself” I twisted my hand and then flicked it forward, the stupefy shot towards Malfoy hitting him square in the stomach before he had even blinked. I’d made a point of not putting my full magical weight behind it, as I said we didn’t need any injuries. I did, however, blast him across the room and into the wall. He was out cold.
I took a second, tried to force the monster back into its pen, it went unwillingly. We couldn’t do this again, the next time the chances are I wouldn’t be able to get the damn thing to back down. It was clawing at the habitat now, bellowing to be let out, to be allowed to feed, I breathed slowly and only went to Malfoys side once I was sure that I was in absolute control.
Malfoy looked so peaceful when he was asleep, pale lashes resting on his cheeks, lips parted, hair splayed everywhere.
“Rennervate” I muttered, I was crouching over him as his eyes fluttered open.
“Fuck” His voice was scratchy “I think it broke a rib” He wheezed. I cast a medic diagnostic, the kind we all learned to use during the wall. Sure as shit I had cracked a rib.
“Episkey” I heard the sharp intake and then the long exhale as every injury new or old vanished.
“Thanks”
I stood, and held out my hand to Malfoy, he took it and I began leading us towards the kitchen.
“You’re different” He muttered
“Yeah, well so are you”
The kitchen was entirely tiled, the same sandstone flooring ran throughout the house, but the kitchen had terracotta tiles lining the walls. There was a marble breakfast island in the centre of the room, an industrial size fridge tucked into one of the corners, essentially it was a masterpiece of a kitchen.
“Sit, I’ll make you something to eat, the fire whiskey probably wasn’t a good idea now that I think about it” I opened the fridge, fully stocked. I’d never been so happy that I had employed a couple of house elves in my life. Obviously when I’d informed Hermione of my intention she was less than impressed, then i’d explained that I planned to pay them properly, none would be harmed and it would only be if they wanted to work for me in the first place. She had eventually relented and thus came about my little team of three elves, they’d stocked the fridge for me and we’re likely sorting the rooms upstairs out as I pulled out the eggs, and milk.
“Scrambled eggs on toast okay?” I asked, there was no answer. “Malfoy?” I turned around to see him sitting at the island looking at me, watching me.
“Scrambled eggs on toast okay Malfoy? I’m not the greatest cook "I shook the carton of eggs at him.
“Oh, yeah sure” He was still staring at me, it was kind of unnerving actually. I opted to ignore it.
I cracked three eggs into a jug, added a hearty glug of milk and got to whisking while the pan heated up.
Overall it must have taken me less than 10 minutes before I was sliding it in front of Malfoy along with a mug of tea. His eyes were wide and I could see myself reflected in them.
“I’ve never had food that a house elf hasn’t cooked,” he whispered, looking down at the eggs.
“Yeah well they’re busy” but he wasn’t listening he was too busy shovelling eggs into his mouth at the speed of light.
“These are really good” He had egg spilling out his mouth as he spoke which I thought was adorable for some reason. He sniffed the tea and then stopped mid chew, swallowed his eggs and then looked at me.
“Is this earl grey?” he asked
“Yes, It’s your favourite isn’t it?”
“How did you?” I cut him off
“I remember the whole argument you had with Pansy in 5th year because she was drinking black coffee and you told her she was uncultured and that earl grey is so much better. I thought it was pretentious at the time and stored it as blackmail material. As it happens it came in handy now, since you’re here with me and were both fugitives” I gripped the back of my neck
“Thanks for reminding me about the whole running from the law thing” He groaned glaring at me.
“Come on, eat up, I’ll show you to your room”
He did in fact eat up, actually i thought he was going to ask for more. Turns out Malfoy likes scrambled eggs, who knew? He trailed behind me up the stairs in the main entrance way.
Potter Manor had four main floors. The first held the kitchen, the living room, the dining room, the entrance way, the garage, the ballroom and the duelling chambers. The second floor had bedrooms and bathrooms and small tea rooms, the third was entirely a library and the fourth a greenhouse.
“This is the second floor, choose whatever room you’d like. They’ve all got attached bathrooms and there’s one down the hall if you require it. Third floor is a library, make yourself at home.” I sighed “My room is the one with the black door, if you need me for anything just come in” Malfoy looked at the black door and then chose the room opposite.
“Poppy?” I asked, a smaller than usual elf popped into existence in front of me
“Master Potter you be calling?” Her voice was girlish, she wore a little dress with the potter insignia on the breast.
“This is Mr Malfoy, he’s going to be staying here for a while. Can you or anyone else who's available come if he calls you?”
“Yes Mr. Potter. We is being happy to be helping”
“Thank you Poppy, I’m sorry to disturb you” She curtseyed and then vanished again with a crack, Malfoy was staring again.
“That was a house elf!”
“Once again, fantastic observational skills Malfoy”
“But you’re Harry Potter…” I opened my mouth to say the retort again but then continued by saying “You’re against house elves. What the fuck?”
“They’re employed properly Malfoy, I pay them, as in actual money not just magic” I sighed “I did mention them earlier, I think you were to busy watching me make eggs to listen though”
A blush began creeping up Malfoys throat. It was a beautiful rosy colour and he lowered his eyes to the floor.
“I employ three currently, Poppy, Bobby and Whimsy. They’ll come if you call them. Don’t be mean to them and absolutely no hurting them, I don’t care if you scald yourself on bath water, you lift a hand to them and I will set Hermione on you”
“I’d never hurt them… I always hated how father treated Dobby, it was awful he didn’t deserve that” I nodded and then turned to my room.
“I’m going to have a nap, feel free to wander, you're a guest, not a prisoner” I waved my hand and then stepped into my room. I closed the door but left it unlocked, doubting he would come into the room but I needed to meditate and to nap. I needed to figure out a way of getting the blood I'd need, my throat was already dry and I fed yesterday. My thoughts would be less cloudy after a nap, they had to be.
I lay myself on my bed, and stared up at the black canopy, eventually I drifted into oblivion.